Annual Tree Lighting Supports Child Advocacy
Gina Hoke and Terry Keizer lead carols by the tree at the Christmas tree lighting sponsored by the Child Advocacy Center. Photo by Anna Somers.
By Anna Somers
On December 5, local families and residents met at the American Legion Hall in Glennallen for the 15th annual tree lighting party and ceremony sponsored by the Copper River Basin Child Advocacy Center (CAC).
In attendance were many of the CAC staff and board members, local members of the American Legion, and dozens of families and children excited for the night’s guest in a red suit.
The Christmas tree is located outside the American Legion Hall across the road from IGA and is decorated in bright lights to bring a cheerful burst of color to Glennallen’s downtown. Beside the tree is a sign that sums up the CAC’s mission: “Keep our children safe. Make child abuse prevention a priority.”
Matt Morse (standing) and Terry Keizer (sitting) lead carols inside the American Legion. Photo by Anna Somers.
The CAC works in the regions of Glennallen, Valdez, Tok, and beyond to lend support to children and families faced with difficult situations such as abuse allegations. They work with a variety of state and local organizations including law enforcement, Office of Children’s Services, tribal workers, medical providers and more to provide care for children and families in difficult situations.
The CAC’s main site is the old Gulkana School building, which has been in operation since 2009. In 2018, the CAC opened a satellite office in Valdez, followed by a Tok satellite in 2023. The CAC employs two full-time and three part-time workers.
While a large portion of their work occurs after allegations of abuse, they also are involved in community outreach, such as the annual tree lighting, which allows children, families, and local residents to meet the staff and learn more about the organization's mission.
Child Advocacy Center staff and board members Becca Parrish, Tamra Tuggle, Scott Somers, M. Starr Knighten and Gina Hoke. Photo by Anna Somers. Other staff and board members not pictured: Nanci Hill and Nia Liljedahl (Valdez staff), Pam Verfaillie (Valdez board), and Zach Dysinger and Mark Pick (Copper Basin board)
At this year’s tree lighting, CAC staff served a chili dinner and plenty of desserts to all those in attendance. After everyone had the chance to eat, the crowd went outside to observe the tree light up for the first time of the season. Gina Hoke, who has served as the CAC’s executive director since 2011, led the community in singing carols outside.
The evening’s events were graced with unusually warm weather after temperatures had been in the negatives for several days in a row. After several songs outdoors, the musical festivities were then taken back inside, where Terry Keizer and Matt Morse played guitar and led in further singing before Santa Claus made his annual appearance.
During a short speech, Scott Somers, who is the CAC’s board chair and this author’s husband, mentioned that the CAC is actively looking for board members. Because the work of the CAC is spread out over such a large geographic region, the meetings take place over Zoom and occur every other month. Scott joined the board three years ago because it gave him “the opportunity to have a hand in protecting the most vulnerable people in our community.” There are currently five members on the CAC board, and they are looking to fill up to four more seats.
If you are interested in serving on the board or have questions about its mission, you can contact the Child Advocacy Center at 907-822-3733. And if you’re driving through Glennallen after sunset, please enjoy the beautiful tree lit up along the Glenn and remember to offer up your prayers or well-wishes for the children the CAC serves.